


An unexpected surprise

by ArthursKnight



Category: Cirque du Freak | The Saga of Darren Shan - Darren Shan
Genre: Christmas fic, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, i am new to the fandom, i know i am late as frick sh, no shipping!!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 18:32:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17872571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArthursKnight/pseuds/ArthursKnight
Summary: It's Christmas, and for Darren Shan it's going to be just a normal day as a Vampire's can be. Or maybe not.





	An unexpected surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> I haven't written anything in so long and it shows...
> 
> I am new to the fandom, I am currently reading "Trials of Death".   
> I have many fic ideas for this book series, as I am practically obsessed. I hadn't felt such a connection with a character or book in a long time!  
> Anyways, this is just a Christmas-y fic with Mr. Crepsley and Darren.
> 
> Please keep in mind English is not my first language!

Darren sat in front of the small black-and-white tv in Mr. Crepsley’s trailer, his legs crossed in front of him as he took some chips from a half-empty bag in his lap. He didn’t know how they made it work, nor he cared, but it was a nice distraction.

His eyes watered against the artificial light of the screen, and he blinked a few times to see better. Being a half-vampire, his sight was quite better than a human’s but it could still get ruined.

Greyscale images passed in a blur, Darren’s eyes fixed on a random spot.

_ He should be back by now, shouldn’t he?  _ His eyes darted at the wall clock and he frowned, sighing heavily.  _ What is he even doing out so late? _

The vampire had gone away a few hours ago, after telling him to wait and not get into trouble - Darren scoffed at that -, so the half-vampire thought watching stupid Christmas movies was as good as an activity as any other. If only he could concentrate on the stories. 

Darren bit his nails, even though he knew they couldn’t break. It was a familiar habit he found hard to lose.

Tilting his head, he fixed his hearing on what was going on outside. Although many footsteps walked past the trailer, accompanied by the loud voices of the Cirque’s artists, none belonged to Mr. Crepsley.

Darren closed his eyes, concentrating on his breath. Mr. Crepsley had never gone away from the Cirque without him, not for so long.

He looked at the clock once more; its ticking irritated him, the sound too loud for his ears.

His fist clenched around the bag of chips and he carefully put it on the floor - he would’ve been the one to have to clean the mess if the food fell, and he wasn’t looking up to it.

Darren got up and walked to the door, opening it and sitting on the entrance.

The luminaries from the nearby city, together with a full moon, illuminated the grass and the trailers around him.

Soft snowflakes fell all around him, creating weird patterns on his clothes.

Darren breathed the cold air in, welcoming the freshness it brought in his throat.

It was weird, how in these years he had found himself caring for the vampire. And Darren thought it was reciprocal, even though Mr. Crepsley hardly ever showed it. The fact Darren saw him as a father figure was a secret he’d only shared in his diary and would bring to the grave, yet he wanted to show his appreciation to the vampire.

Christmas was tomorrow, and even if he knew Mr. Crepsley wasn’t a big fan of it, he wanted to celebrate it and give him a gift. 

Darren put his legs up and hugged them as he let his sight wander around the Cirque.

No Christmas tree, no lights, no nothing. A day like the others in a Vampire's life, even though he hoped this one would be different.

As if the Vampire Gods were teasing him, a commercial about Christmas came on the screen. 

Darren turned around to watch it and saw a happy family of four eating at the table and exchanging presents. 

It reminded him a bit of his old family, how Annie would jump up excitedly as she brought him his present from her. But the image that came stronger in his mind was a replica of the commercial, except there was him and Mr. Crepsley eating a full meal together.

A stupid thought.

Although Darren had come to care for the vampire as his own father, he doubted Mr. Crepsley even remotely thought of him as a son - more as a nuisance.

Darren shook his head as he got up and approached the small wardrobe. He opened it and knelt down to take a present from the bottom.

Biting down on his bottom lip, Darren caressed the red paper. It wasn't big, nor fancy, but he had chosen it with care for Mr. Crepsley. He'd give it to him at midnight, hoping the vampire would appreciate it. If not… well, he had tried.

Footsteps got close to the trailer, this time stopping in front of the door. Mr. Crepsley talked to Mr. Tall in a hushed tone, and even with his vampiric hearing Darren couldn’t make out what the two adults were saying.

The child hurried to put the present back in its hiding spot as he got up and went to greet the vampire.

“ Darren. I thought you would be asleep by now.” Mr. Crepsley checked something under his cloak, cracking a rare smile. His finger went up to scratch the scar on his cheek, an overly familiar gesture Darren knew too well. Mr. Crepsley was hiding something from him.

“ Oh, I was just about to go to bed…” the child shrugged. “Do you know when we will start traveling again?” the half-vampire sat on the floor, wiggling his toes.

His sitting spot seemed to burn, and the child was way too aware of the present hidden behind him.

Mr. Crepsley frowned, sitting down on his closed coffin and taking off his shoes.

“ I have not planned it yet. Why?”

Darren shrugged, not sure of what to say. He enjoyed being on the road alone with the vampire, even though they were lonely times.

“ Darren?”

“ Nothing, it doesn't matter…” the half-vampire bit the inside of his cheek, unsure if it was better to chicken out of this one. He had no idea how Mr. Crepsley would react, and his heart pounded in his chest at the thought. 

His eyes drifted to the clock, and he squealed.

“Oh, look! It’s midnight!”

“ So?” Mr. Crepsley’s eyebrows shot up, and the vampire crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“ Well…” Darren sighed and took out the gift, giving it to the vampire without meeting his eyes. 

As Mr. Crepsley took the present, Darren hid his face in his knees, fearing the man's reaction.

“ Oh, Darren! It was not necessary.” The vampire pursed his lips, as if he was wondering what to say next, but opened the gift with care. 

Inside, he found a box with a collection of different teas.

Smiling, Mr. Crepsley smelled the different flavours and hummed softly.

“ Thank you, Darren. That means, if I am not wrong,” Mr. Crepsley nodded, “that I should give you this.”

From under his cloak, the vampire took a package wrapped in sparkly red paper, handling it to Darren. A note was stuck on top of it.

Darren's eyes widened, a huge smile spreading on his face.

“ Mr. Crepsley! Really?” the half-vampire kept looking back and forth between the gift and his mentor, his mouth open.

“ Very much so, Master Shan.”

The half-vampire pinched his face, wondering if it was all just a dream. When nothing happened, Darren took the note and read it. 

‘Merry Christmas, Darren’ was written on it with a big, unsure yet careful calligraphy that made Darren's heart skip a beat.

He looked up at Mr. Crepsley, who in turn looked away, his neck red as his cloak.

“Thank you.”

The child put the note in his pants to save it and ripped off the wrapping paper, revealing a new diary and a fancy stationery set.

“ I did not know what you get people during Christmas, Darren.” Mr. Crepsley shrugged, scratching at his scar again. “I do hope this is fitting.”

“It’s perfect!” Darren shrieked, tears filling his eyes at the care the man had put into it all.

The child put the gifts on the bed and in an onrush of joy, he hugged the vampire, whispering, “Thank you, dad.”

Darren really hoped Mr. Crepsley hadn’t heard.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Did you like it?  
> Personally, I do not think this is one of my best works...
> 
> Still, if you liked it please leave kudos and/or a comment.  
> Also, if you *really* liked it and want to support me, would you buy me a Kofi? https://ko-fi.com/A8723J7V


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